Andrew MacDougall has done it again.

The 2008 environmental sciences graduate from Antigonish, NS who capped off his university career at StFX as the first author of a paper published in Geophysical Research Letters, essentially the highest ranking journal in the field, has once again had his work chosen as a Journal Highlight by the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

The article, entitled, "Comparison of observed and General Circulation Model derived continental subsurface heat flux in the Northern Hemisphere" compares measured and climate-modelled ground heat with the aim of improving climate model reliability in projecting future climate.

It was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR), which is one of the journals of the AGU. And like his first paper, it was chosen as a Journal Highlight.

Much of the work for this paper was done in StFX’s Environmental Sciences Research Centre (ESRC) when he was a student at StFX in the spring of 2008.

Paper co-authors are Hugo Beltrami, Fidel Gonza lez-Rouco, Bruce Stevens, and Evelise Bourlon, all with StFX’s ESRC.
 
“It is fantastic that my second paper has been also highlighted! Everyone believes their own research to be important, but I am greatly honoured that the editors of JGR also believe this research to be important,” MacDougall says.

“For me personally, these honours are an exceptional launching pad for an academic career. I am grateful to (StFX Earth Sciences professor) Dr. Beltrami and the ESRC for giving me these unique opportunities to publish research conducted as an undergrad.”

MacDougall is currently finishing a MSc in glaciology at Simon Fraser University and is planning to pursue a PhD in climate modelling at the University of Victoria beginning in May 2011.

Dr. Beltrami, who supervised MacDougall as an undergraduate, has always had high praise for his former student. “Very few people make it in this journal. This is the second time for Andrew.”